Melting
by Rosie06
Summary: Just a cute scene between Hatori and Kana please R&R and help me decide where to take it! Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

"Come on Hatori! Hurry!" Kana laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him from the car. They were going on a picnic, which he had only been talked into with the promise of being allowed to take along his beeper and a stack of paper work; but they both knew that he wouldn't pay any attention to either. Kana let go of his hand and ran ahead while he took the basket and followed, watching her yellow cotton dress swish about her as she ran. Hatori was happy.

It was late spring but trees were still casting their petals off in the wind, and the couple was greeted as though they were Roman heroes returning from a victorious conquest. Kana stopped at the top of a grassy hill, the sun falling behind her and illuminating her like a goddess, "C'mon slow poke!" she smiled.

"Oh I'm slow, am I?" Hatori laughed, "We'll just see about that!" And he took off after her. They laughed as they ran up hills and down into tiny valleys until they found a large shady tree. "Here" they said in unison.

"Jinx!" Kana yelled, "Now you can't talk until I say your name three times." He looked at her with his deep green eyes and she stopped laughing. "Hatori," she giggled. "Hatori," she said again, this time softer. She looked into those eyes, and they answered with "Kana…, Kana…," …maybe something else too. "Hatori," she breathed, now realizing how close he had reeled her in with those eyes. For a moment they just stared.

"That was very childish."

"You played too, didn't you?"

"For your happiness." At this, she blushed. What was he trying to say? "Shall we eat? Whatever you made smells wonderful." She smiled and nodded and together they spread out the blanket and lunch she had packed.

"Tell me about those two friends of yours," she requested in-between bites of a pink sweet bean cake.

"They're idiots," he said flatly; then he turned and looked at the shocked expression on her face and they both laughed. "But they are my idiots and we've been inseparable for most of our lives. Once in college Ayame…" and he began recounting stories that he had nearly forgotten for lack of telling. Kana laughed along with him as they worked their way through the lunch basket. He never told stories so freely; it was almost frightening.

"I hope I will get to meet them, someday," she said as he finished another story.

"Yes me too," he replied. Kana began digging in the basket as he continued, "Ah, Kana, I… that is to say… I…"

"Found it!" she exclaimed, apparently not hearing his stammerings. She held up a plain white diamond kite with a multi-colored tail. "Wanna fly it?" she asked. Hatori smiled a little and nodded and her cheeks crinkled up beneath her eyes in a huge grin.

They ran off through the hilly meadows and when the kite was high enough and there were no trees they lay down and watched the diamond twist and dip with the higher gusts. Hatori looked more closely at the kite now and saw that it had the Kanji for 'harmony'. He took in a deep breath and looked over at Kana—yes, he had found his harmony.

"Oh! Hatori! Look at where we are!" He sat up and looked around. Fuzzy globes batted in the gentle wind all around them.

"Dandelions," he said, "We're surrounded by dandelions."

"Can you believe it? A whole field of wishes! Let's make some!" She got up and shut her eyes with a very determined look on her face.

"What are you doing?" he laughed.

"Wishing! C'mon! You do it too," she replied. He walked over and held her hand and together they stood for a few moments, wishing. Kana drew in a deep breath and Hatori imitated her. Then they ran around the field making the seeds fly up like a thousand tiny birds taking flight at once, and as they ran they slowly breathed out so that they could pretend that they were causing the flight the traditional way. And they were both so happy.

Author: So? What do you think? Would anyone be interested in reading more? It will mostly continue being a sweet, feel-good story i think.. maybe hatori will confess his love or maybe kana could hug him while he's napping so he wouldn't know or.. i don't know.. what do you think? Please write me a reply and let me know! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

But happiness only lasts so long for the cursed. Hatori knew it, and Kana would learn all too soon.

"Oh!" Kana exclaimed, "Hatori! The kite!" They had abandoned the kite while running through the dandelions, and it now soared freely through the pale sky. Hatori watched, unable to tear his eyes from the free white diamond bouncing around on the high currents. It was free; free to float wherever the wind could and would take it, free to fly on forever or fall softly to the earth if it so choose, free to… free to love.

Kana looked up at him. His eyes were so concentrated and frightened and sad. She had seen these eyes many times, and she wanted to forever banish them, and whatever accompanying thoughts, from Hatori. "Hatori?" she asked; no response. "Hatori?" she tried again, and after a pause she smiled and said, "Hey, it's okay! We can get it back! Let's go!" she tugged at his arm and he looked down at her startled.

"No, it's…" he began, still a little entranced, but she was already dragging him after the capricious kite. They ran together, but something was different, Kana could tell, but she pretended not to notice—she had no desire to let him slip back into the world of those painful green eyes.

Suddenly, they stopped, or rather, Hatori stopped, and Kana was obliged to do the same by virtue of his tight grip around her hand. Had his hands always been this strong?

"What…?" she began to ask, loosing her words as she looked at him. This was an entirely new look.

"Kana," he said, shakily but still in his even tone, "Kana, I love you." He looked at her very seriously, helplessly, even. She looked back and then burst into laughter.

"Is that what's been troubling you?" she asked between little giggles, "Oh Hatori, I was so worried that something was wrong!" He looked at her, appalled at first by the laughter but then it infected him and he too began to smile, though he couldn't laugh until he heard her answer.

"There's something I must…" he started to say, still holding her hands tightly in his, but she cut him off.

"I love you too," and for a moment, he was happier than he had been in his entire life. In that brief instant, the curse was forgotten, there was hope, there was perfect harmony, and, though he knew it was medically impossible, he felt certain that his heart would burst from trying to keep in so much joy. He leaned down to kiss her, and she brought her face up to his to return it. When they broke the kiss he smiled at her and she threw herself against him in a tight embrace. POOF!

_Her arms locked tightly around him. They said what she was too happy to say: that she loved him, that these arms, her arms, would always be there to hold him and protect him and support him. Always. And he wrapped her in his own embrace, his arms fitting comfortable around her slim waist and drawing her body close to his. They never had to let go if they didn't want to; they had all the time in the world. It felt so nice to have another person so close to him, to bend down and kiss her strawberry hair, and feel her snuggle her cheek up against his collar bone. They were safe, they were free, they were the perfect harmony to each other's songs._

Kana had never been so frightened in her life. A sea horse lay at her feet, eyes closed and unmoving. "Hatori? HATORI!" she began to panic. "Water! Water!" she shouted to no one in particular. A trickle of a brook lay a few hundred feet ahead of her and she grabbed the sea horse and ran. He seemed to wake up in the water but said nothing, only let out a few high-pitched coughs and sputters. She squealed and picked

him up. Hugging him tightly to her chest and softly kissing his head. He closed his tiny eyes, breathing heavily for a sea horse, and listened to Kana's whispers. This would be the last time he was so close to her, he was sure of it. Just then, the wind settled, and the kite dropped down, not far from the little bank where Kana knelt. Somewhere on it's journey, it had suffered a tear, ruining the beautiful word written so simply in black ink.

Author: Thanksto everyone who has read and esp. to those who have left reviews to encourage me! What do you think now? It's not going to stay this sad, I want a happy ending. Do you think it's ok to change the story a little about when she finds out about the curse? Please leave a note a let me know your thoughts! Thanks so much! -Rosie


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